Baylor is 3-1, but the Bears are carrying around one ugly problem that keeps showing up in the worst possible way: penalties.
A closer look at the Baylor-Colorado game made the issue impossible to ignore. Both teams seemed determined to rack up flags, and the total ended up at 19 penalties between them. Four games into the season, that is not the kind of number any team wants attached to its offense, especially when the dead-ball fouls are the ones doing the most damage.
What has helped Baylor survive all of that is a defense that has been steady and dependable. The Bears’ defense has not only been the less penalized unit, it has also been a major reason the team has been able to stack wins despite the mistakes.
At home, the penalty count gets even harder to overlook. Baylor has been flagged 29 times in its home games this season, and a big chunk of those have come from the offense before the snap. The biggest culprit has been false starts, with roughly a dozen of the Bears’ penalties coming in that form.
That is the part that stands out. Holding calls, pass interference, even delay of game - those are part of football’s messier side.
False starts are different, especially at home. There is no real excuse for them, and there is no way to spin them as a strategic tradeoff.
The numbers tell the story clearly. Baylor has had 5 false starts against PVA&M, 3 against LA Tech, and 3 against Colorado, giving the Bears at least 11 false starts on the season. Overall, the offense is drawing penalties at nearly a 3-to-1 rate compared with the defense.
An average of more than 9 penalties a game at home is not sustainable. If Baylor does not get its timing cleaned up, it could eventually cost the Bears a game. And if the Bears cannot settle down in front of their own crowd, the concern only grows as they head into their first true road game against Arizona State this upcoming Saturday.
In Other News...
Baylors Close Win Revealed Who Carried The Offense And Who Didnt
Baylors first in-conference test turned into the kind of game that forces a hard look at where the offense really came from, and who was asked to do too much. DJ Lagway led the way for the Bears in the home matchup, piling up 221 passing yards and 116 rushing yards while helping push the offense to 23 points. He also hit Jadon Porter on a 33-yard touchdown pass, one of the few plays that consistently gave Baylor breathing room.
The bigger picture for Baylor was less about style points than survival, even against a Colorado team that went to Julian Lewis after halftime. Dawson Pendergrass added 85 yards on 16 carries, giving the Bears a steadier ground presence, but the game still underscored how much the offense ran through Lagway. For a team trying to settle into conference play, the win answered one question and left another hanging about how sustainable that formula will be. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Fans Already Have One Big Reason To Debate DJ Lagway
Baylors quarterback picture has already become one of the more interesting storylines of the season, even before the Bears have had much time to settle it. DJ Lagway opened as the starter, then missed two games with a right ankle injury, and Nate Bennett stepped in and won both of those starts. That kind of fill-in success can change the way a fan base talks about a position, especially when the team has now seen two different answers under center.
Lagway is still expected to stay in the job once hes healthy, and his contract status is part of why the Bears are likely to keep leaning that way. Still, Bennetts brief run gave Baylor supporters a real alternative to compare against, which is exactly how quarterback debates start to take on a life of their own. The Bears may have an answer for now, but the conversation around it is only getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Offense Has A Red-Zone Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Baylors trip into the red zone against Colorado looked productive on the surface, but the finish told a different story. The Bears got there five times and came away with three touchdowns, a drop-off that stood out as their lowest red-zone touchdown rate of the season and a reminder that moving the ball and cashing in are not always the same thing.
DJ Lagways return from injury added another layer to the conversation. The starting quarterback was back on the field, but his limited mobility was noticeable and he missed several open receivers, which affected how the offense was called. Dave Aranda said Lagways health shaped the game plan, and Baylor will be watching closely to see whether further rehabilitation can help him operate more freely in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]